Q&A: Fire official says response quality will be maintained in Katy area

Updated 6:36 pm, Friday, August 7, 2015

The news that a new fire and ambulance department would respond to 911 calls in the Energy Corridor and greater Katy area has some residents nervous despite assurances from Harris County Emergency Services District 48.

The district will start responding with its own, state-certified fire department at 6 a.m. Aug. 17, replacing the West I-10 Fire Department. For more details, read this story and related documents.

The West I-10 Fire Department has served the area west of Memorial Houston for 37 years, a period in which it grew from a few hundred residents to a booming suburb with a dense strip of office towers. The district, which collects a property tax, was formed by many of the same people and has continually contracted with West I-10 FD.

To address community concerns that response times would spike or that the quality of ambulance care would decline, Houston Chronicle reporter Jayme Fraser spoke with Harris County Fire Marshal Mike Montgomery. The veteran firefighter has been monitoring the transition to a new department for Harris County Commissioners, although neither he nor county leaders have any authority in the matter. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: First, can you give readers a little background on the evolution of fire and ambulance services in rural Texas and what an emergency services district is?

A: Back in the mid '80s, the legislature first allowed the creation of rural fire prevention districts (RFPDs). They were put in place with the sole purpose of providing volunteer fire departments with a steady source of income (by levying a property tax), similar to other special districts like utility districts. These particular special districts were charged with making sure the taxpayer was receiving a good level of fire service for the tax dollars collected and their spending is in the hands of voters who elect district commissioners. Those have now evolved into emergency services districts (ESDs) as more of the fire services became EMS providers or responded to weather-related hazards. As the role of the fire departments expanded beyond more than just fire, the RFPDs were converted into ESDs. The tax collections have taken the place of the fundraisers -- the BBQ dinners and other events -- that volunteer departments used to have just to pay to put gasoline in their trucks.

Q: Do you know of other area ESDs that have switched from longtime contracts to handling daily operations in-house? West I-10 FD has served this area for a long time, so some people are nervous.

A: Change is hard. I fully understand that. I've been in the fire service over 25 years. We have seen other departments in the county undergo this transition and those transitions take time to get through. In the end, there is nothing to suggest anything other than great service has been provided, as in the past. Others have done this: ESD 29 in the Champions area, ESD 12 and ESD 50 in Cloverleaf and Channelview, and ESD 24 in the Aldine area. This is not an unprecedented move. It has occurred in the past. Harris County (despite the names of these districts) are not in the ESD business or fire services business. That's up to those special districts. What Harris County ESD 48 wants to do appears to be well within their scope of authority.

Q: You're monitoring the transition for Harris County commissioners to keep them appraised of what's going on, including talking with the district about their hiring and operating plans. Should residents be worried about the change declining the quality of fire or EMS service?

A: They're keeping us apprised from their side. They're hiring many of the paid staff and volunteers from West I-10: The core of the services. ... I've not seen anything to suggest the response quality would change. At the end of the day, the response is expected to be the same -- with the same knowledge and skills. This is nothing more than a change in the way they administer their business. The district has already made plans to make this a smooth and orderly transition.